William buckley



@auch WILLIAM BUCKLEY, OF NEW YORK, N'. Y..

Letters Patent No. 67,951, dated lu-gust 20, 1867.

BASE-BALL TABLE.

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'TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BUCKLELo-f the city, county, and State of New York,`have invented a new and improved Base-Ball Table; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and cliact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, forming part of this speciticatiom'in which- Figureil is a top or plan view of my improved table. i f

Figure 2is a detail sectional view of the same, taken through the line :z: x, fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view of a mace for 'fielding the ball back into position.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention consists of an improved base-ball table, constructed as hereinafter more fully described, by means of which a new game for parlor or other in-door amusement is furnished, and` which is played according to the rules and regulations of the game of base-ball.-

A is a table, which may be made of any size, from a table three feet long by two and a haltl feet wide to that of a full-sized billiard table. The edge of the Vtable issurrounded with a ledge from two to two and a half inches high, which may be covered with green cloth, leather, or other suitable material.` B is the home base, C is the first base, D the second base, and E the third base. The lines of the bases are slightly grooved as they `approach the bases to which they lead, to keep the ball that represents the striker upon the base-line. F is the bat that strikes the ball. This bat has a short horizontal arn1,f, projecting from its upper end, which, as the but oscillates, strikes the ball, driving it across the table. To the lower end of this bat F is attached an arm or lever, G, tol one end of which is attached a wire, II, passing out at the end of the table, and terminating 4in a ring, bell-pull, or other'convenient handle, I. To the other end of the arm or lever G is attached a spring, J, made of rubber or metal, as may be convenient, and by the elasticity of which the blow is given to the ball. The arm f is made of such a length that if the blow is given a little too quick or a little too slow the ball will be missed, and the player runs thev risk ofbeing caught out. are metallic straps or runners, the ends of which are pivotedto the table upon each side of the base-line, as shown in dotted lines in iig. 1.

u The middle part of the straps or runners K is free, and passes around the base from which the striker is to run. Beneath thc table the Vfree part of the strap or runner is connected with the end of a lever, L, the other end of which is connected to the lower end of keys rM N O l? S. These keys are held up in their places by coiled wire or other springs, as shown in iig. 2. The line U, over which the ball rolls from the pitehers position towards the bat, is movable, being pivoted at the end nearest the bat. The otheror free end is connected to the end of a lever, R, placed beneath the table, and operated bye. key, S, in the manner already described. E are the ielders, which are angular blocks of suitable material, two of which are placed as pitcher and catcher, and the other seven are distributed over the table in the saine manner that ieldersare placed upon the field. The bases B, C, I), and E are hollowed out, so as to receive and hold the ball until it is4 again moved by operating the runners K; and the movable line U, along which the ball moves towards the bat F, is groovcd, seas to keep the ball in itsproper course until it reaches the bat. For convenience the home base is divided, or, in other words, there are two home bases, one from which the ball that represents the striker starts, and the other on the'other sideof the line U, where it stops upon getting home.

In using the apparatus the ball V is placed in position upon the further end of the line U, as shown 1n iig. 1, and the ball W, which represents the striker, is placed upon the home base B; The key'S is then operated, raising the Afurther end of the line Upea-using the ball V to roll towards the bat F by one player, while the other player operates the bat F to strike the ball. If the bat misses the ball, and the ball is caught by the catchernT, the striker is out; but if the ball is not caught by the catcher T, it is called alfoul ball, and the striker strikes again. If the ball is struck and driven across the table, the player immediately operates the key M to" move the ball W to the iirst base C, and so on from base to base to the home base, unless the ball V hasin the mean time been fielded into one of the bases by means of the mace or cnc X, which puts him out. If the ball is caughtv by one of the fielders T the striker is out, and need not attempt to run tlic bases'.

The game may be played by four persons, two on a side; but a greater number is better, and makes the game more lively and interesting.

' What I claim as new, and desire toiseeure by 'Letters Patent, is v l 21.-'Tl1e buse-ball table, constructed as described, consisting ofthe table A, bases B C D E, bat F, lever G, runnersK, keys M N O P S, lelders T, movable line U, and balls W V, all operating as described for the purr`pose specified.

2. The pivoted runners K K U, operated by' levers and keys, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

3. The V-shaped catchers TT, constructed substantially as and for the purpose specified. The above specification of my invention signed by me this 24tl1'day of December, 1866.

WILLIAM BUCKLEY.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MGNAMARA,

JAMES T. GRAHAM. 

